Sunday, January 22, 2012

When the temps are dropping, the snow is falling, the days are shorter, all you want to do is snuggle up on the couch. What do you do to stay positive? Motivated? Energized?

I get my butt moving, I release those pleasurable endorphins, I make time for a good workout. I sit here with so much positivity flowing through my body, drinking my green juice, and so grateful that I woke up on this Sunday morning to brave the cold and power through an intense 90 minute Bikram Hot Yoga Class. It was so worth it! I feel so amazing, that I knew this was the topic I needed to write about today.

It is so easy, on a day like today where in Jersey it is just below freezing, cloudy, and gray... and there is snow on the ground for the first time this winter.... to snuggle up on the couch, sporting your silk pajamas and cashmere robe, with a huge mug of vegan hot chocolate. I know, I did that yesterday! And, you need to do just that once in a while. You just can't do that everyday.

I know from experience how horrible you can feel. I have tasted depression and anxiety. And, I know I can taste it again. Exercise is my drug. My drug has no side effects as do medications... have you ever heard one of those commercials for depression medications? "Side effects may include: dry mouth. constipation. blurred vision. sleep disruption. weigh gain. diarrhea. inability to get an erection. inability to have an orgasm. loss of libido. agitation. anxiety. heart failure. suicide. death".... to name a few!

well...

Exercise has NO negative side effects!

and in fact increases such side effects! So, if doctors where to bottle up exercise and prescribe it to patience as often as they do with other medication, I would imagine the add would sound something like this: "Do you desire an increased libido (and better sex)? Undisturbed, restorative sleep? Normal bowl movements? More energy? Greater confidence? Less anxiety? A better outlook on life? Weigh loss? Better overall all health? A tighter tush ;) Well, get your ass moving!"

I so strongly believe that exercise can cure so many ailments, which is why it is one of the number one things I encourage my clients to do. Bundle up and get outside, connect with nature- go for a walk, a hike, a run. Whatever level you are at, just get your ass moving.

Running once a week in the woods. An experience where there is no words to describe... if you are curious, I dare you to try running in the woods. There is no exercise quite like it. Imagine what it feels like to fly...

Circuit training workout videos, which I alternate betweem about 3 days a week to increase my strength. My current favorites are:

Michelle Dozois was the first workout video trainer I ever had. Every time she comes out with a new video, I have to have it-- and always love it! This video alternates between free weights and cardio.

Last summer I did P90x, and enjoyed competing with my fiance. Although I cannot bring myself to do the entire series again, I do like to incorporate the Plyometrics followed by the Ab video. This is such a fun workout! Plyometrics (jump training) is my favorite way to get an intense cardio burn while building muscle. I feel like a kid doing this video-- Jumping around my living room like a nut :)

Similar to Michelle Dozois, Amy Dixon has quite a few interval training videos that I love! This one incorporates the step, and your alternate between weights and cardio blasts. My body is always sore (in a good way) after this one!

Just three days without exercise, and I feel myself falling into a sad, unmotivated, lack of confidence, and lack of energy slump. I need exercise. And so do you.

About Me

As a child I suffered with Irritable Bowl Syndrome (IBS) and acid reflux. When I was in high school my doctor gave me a prescription, which turned out to be a prescription for an eating disorder. As a way to skinny Sophomore in college, I realized that the medication was causing more harm, than good, and so I began to make changes in my diet and successfully cured my IBS through nutrition. This experience led me to find my true passion: wellness and nutrition. A few years later, in my first year as a school teacher, I decided to go back to school and a year later I graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, with a certification in Holistic Health Counseling. Then, at the age of twenty-five, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and was told that I was infertile. Two years later, with the help of my nutrition and wellness background, I regulated my PCOS and successfully and naturally conceived a baby. I know that my purpose in life is to help women and children to maintain a healthy lifestyle by teaching everything I know from my education, continuous research, and my own experiences to help others find success and heal their illnesses naturally.